Bicknell hopes marathon training will pay off

Running man: Martin Bicknell will have the backing of staff and pupils at Charterhouse School when he takes to the streets in Sunday’s Virgin London Marathon

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EX-CRICKETER Martin Bicknell faces a challenge of a lifetime when he runs in Sunday’s Virgin-backed London Marathon.

The former Surrey and England swing bowler will swap his cricket whites for running shoes to tackle the 26-mile course in aid of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).

The 2001 Wisden Cricketer of the Year hopes his months of hard training will pay off by raising thousands of pounds for a charity that offers practical support, advice and information to almost two million people living with sight loss in the UK.

But Bicknell admitted his marathon debut would be quite a challenge, saying: "Although I’d like to think I'm in pretty good shape and I’ve been training hard for months, 26 miles is a hard slog.

“Knowing I’m raising money for such a worthwhile cause should make the miles seem less painful though – I hope.”

Bicknell started his career in the colts team at Guildford and went on to take more than 1,000 first-class wickets for Surrey, where he is now part of the coaching staff.

The 41-year-old currently teaches at Charterhouse School in Godalming and he became involved with the RNIB after watching a blind cricket match at The Oval.

Bicknell explained: “Watching blind cricket just got me thinking about sight loss and how, with the right support, people can continue to achieve great things and enjoy life to the full.”

And he sent this plea: “RNIB does so much work helping people who have lost their sight [to] find their lives again, providing invaluable support to literally thousands of people every year.

"But they need our support too. Right now RNIB can only help one in three people living with sight loss, so please, dig deep and help them to reach everyone.”